MONTICELLO – Monticello Trustee Carmen Rue and newly elected Trustees Doug Solomon and Jill Weyer are asking a judge to halt efforts by Mayor Gordon Jenkins and his allies to hire a former Spring Valley mayor as village manager.

Rue, Solomon and Weyer call the effort to hire Allan Thompson a “devious plan” in a lawsuit filed against Jenkins, Thompson and Trustees Larissa Bennett, Rochelle Massey and James Matthews.

Four days before the March 18 village elections Jenkins convened an emergency meeting at which he joined Massey and Matthews in voting to hire Thompson at $78,000 annually.

They also gave Jenkins the authority to craft a contract in which Thompson would be paid two years salary even if he is fired by the new board, which is to be seated April 7.

Rue, Solomon and Weyer say the hiring of Thompson under a contract guaranteeing payment if he is fired would violate village laws requiring a manager to be a Sullivan County resident and to serve at “the pleasure” of the village board.

Sullivan County Judge Mark Meddaugh will hear arguments in the case on Monday.